Columbus will review street improvements

Columbus officials have ordered feasibility studies for road paving in two neighborhoods this year based on narrow resident response in favor of the work.

After reviewing resident input on Wednesday, June 25, city council members directed the city engineer to return with feasibility reports in July.Council also scheduled a public hearing for the plans to take place on July 23.

Due to early requests from some residents in the neighborhood of 177th Lane, 178th Lane and Heidelberg Street, city staff contacted a total of 33 property owners there for reaction to a possible road project based on the likelihood they would be assessed for part of the cost.

Two-thirds of those neighbors replied to the city, and 12 owners said they wanted to look further at a project; 10 asked for the matter to be dropped.

Opinions were similarly split among responding neighbors on Bender Street, DiMaggio Street and 184th Avenue (north of 181st Avenue and west of Kettle River Boulevard).

The city got better than 90 percent response from that neighborhood with a total of 20 replies from 22 addresses. Eleven of those property owners said they wanted more study of a project, vs. nine neighbors saying they were not in favor.

Council members entered June also with a third possible neighborhood for road paving this year, including seven property owners with land on 176th Lane. Those neighbors gave an emphatic negative rejection of the plan, however, as six total respondents said they were not interested.